Retired To A Normal Life
by Tyrone Hart
Summary: Code Geass Fic set in an alternate ending, where Schneizel uses Nunnally to force Lelouch away from his plans. Mostly Romance/Dama, with numerous pairings such as LelouchxC.C., KallenxLelouch, RivalzxMillay, and many others.
1. Prologue

_**Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass, or any of it's affiliated characters or spin-offs.**_

**Prologue.**

Lelouch Lamperouge, recently uncovered as the exiled prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, Lelouch vi Britannia, stepped through the gates of Ashford Academy with a sigh.

Returning to the school, after the events of the previous few months, would be a rather tedious task.

With his connection to Britannian Royalty now public knowledge, Lelouch knew that all the attention he used to receive at the Academy, from both Students and Teachers, would have increased ten-fold over his break.

Idly, the strategical prodigy thought about how annoying all of it would be, as he did his best to settle back into normal life.

Stepping through the large iron gates, and into the school-grounds themselves, Lelouch noticed that the tranquil atmosphere around Ashford Academy hadn't changed at all since his departure.

The smell of blooming flowers, probably coming from the Gardening Club, placed a pleasant undertone to the scene unfolding around him.

It was a scene mainly of teenagers gathering and chatting with friends. Some hid from the bright, sunny day in the cool shade of a tall tree, while others stretched out on the grassy fields surrounding the main buildings.

All in all, the scene around Ashford Academy was one of peace, of a place without concern for the world outside of the school's boundaries.

It was exactly what Lelouch wished to return to.

The slow, calm pace of life at Ashford would be a welcome change from the rapid, dangerous lifestyle he had left behind.

With a smile, the teen suddenly froze in place, his mind recounting the events that had brought him back to Ashford.

After what had taken place in C's World, up to and including the death of Emperor Charles zi Britannia, Lelouch faced the opportunity of taking his father's place as Emperor.

He knew that this was how the Royal Family organized itself; Originally seventeenth in line to the throne, the exiled prince could now, by right, take the leadership of the Empire as his own, simply by having eliminated it's previous resident.

It was this same harsh policy that had, in a way, caused Lelouch and his sister Nunnally to be exiled to the nation of Japan in the first place.

However, in the month after Charles' death, in the month in which the Holy Empire of Britannia squirmed without a leader, Lelouch found himself with a rather surprising visitor at his door.

Second Prince of the Holy Britannian Empire, Schneizel el Britannia. With him, in a regal-pink wheelchair, was a guest of even grander surprise; Nunnally Lamperouge, previously known as Nunnally vi Britannia, and Lelouch's blind, crippled sister. The same blind, crippled sister that was thought to have been killed in the Fleya explosion, during the Black Knight's Second Battle for Tokyo.

Standing in the middle of the Academy grounds (still unnoticed by any surrounding students, fortunately), Lelouch felt himself succumbing to the tearful joy that had taken him at seeing his prized Nunnally alive and well. Strangely enough, the frail girl didn't say say a word, even after Schneizel had informed the girl that her brother was before her, and on the verge of an emotional breakdown.

Gripping his emotions by the horns, Lelouch only let a small sniff give away the tide of emotion, before hardening himself the way he had done many times before.

His eyes locked in a grim stare, not too dissimilar to the one he had worn on the battlefield as Zero, he restarted his journey towards the school's main buildings.

"_My proposition is simple, brother," Schneizel said, staring into Lelouch's eyes with a death-stare. "Give up whatever plan's you've concocted, and let First Prince Odysseus take the throne, as it should be. In return, I'll give up Nunnally, and let you run along to live whatever life you wish,"_

_Lelouch, finally gaining his composure, gave the Second Prince a knowing smile._

_Of course Schneizel had figured out his plans. He was, after all, the only person with strategical prowess to match his own._

_If anyone could have figured out what Lelouch was planning, it was the blond-haired man standing in his doorway._

_The teen, his amethyst eyes rapidly flicking back and forth between his two siblings, considered the choice suddenly placed before him._

_In one hand, he could decline the offer, and take the throne for himself. Following his master plan, he would eventually bring about unity and peace to the world. He would make it a better place, as he had always intended._

_On the flipside, he could take the offer, and once again have Nunnally in his care. His dear, dear sister. How many times had he dreamed of this very moment? Of seeing her once again? Of being able to hold her in his arms, and care for her, once again?_

_In the back of Lelouch's mind, the voice of logic told him that something was amiss._

_Along with a strategical prowess, the two bothers also shared a grand sense of ambition._

_It would be unlike Schneizel to simply allow another to take the throne, when it hung alluringly before him._

"_What are you hiding, Schneizel?" Lelouch demanded, his voice suddenly cold, despite the presence of his beloved sister. "You're just going to let Odysseus take the throne?"_

_Schneizel chuckled. He had been wondering how long it would take his brother to figure out there was more to this than could be seen._

"_Odysseus is a weak man, Lelouch. A man who is very open to suggestion," the reply from the blond prince oozed his calm and calculating nature. "He always has the best intentions, but intentions that can be easily influenced, none-the-less,"_

_Lelouch smirked. "Of course," he murmured mostly to himself._

_It didn't take a genius to see what was happening here._

_If Schneizel took the throne directly, he would automatically become a prime suspect in the disappearance of the previous Emperor. Whisperings of such things were hard to quell, and soon lead to doubt amongst the people. Doubt would eventually lead to anger. Anger would lead to rebellion._

_And rebellion, Schneizel knew, was the undoing of any plans he might be able to set down._

_Instead, the young prince would allow Odysseus to take the throne, as was protocol in a situation such as this. Able to control the new Emperor from behind the scenes, he in essence had taken power for himself, minus the complications of a direct action._

_At the end of the day, Lelouch had to admit that it was a brilliant plan by Schneizel._

_Of course, the older brother would be getting rid of the only threat to all of this in the same move._

_The Second Prince had no way of knowing exactly what his sibling was planning. But, knowing his brother, he could speculate that it was a good idea to get rid of him before such plans could come to fruition._

_Yet, how would one cause such a thing? Simple._

_Give Lelouch want he wanted, and in doing so, take away any motivation he might have to oppose Schneizel's rise to anonymous power._

_In a nutshell, give him Nunnally._

_It was a pretty good deal, as far as the Second Prince was concerned._

_Nunnally would no longer be of any use to him, either as a political bargaining chip, or as an ally._

_Get rid of her, while at the same time eliminating his most dangerous opponent._

_Yes, a very good deal indeed._

_It didn't matter at all that Lelouch could see all of this._

_He knew, that with Nunnally back in his care, he could make sure she was properly looked after._

_Also, with Odysseus at the throne, the aggressive nature of the Holy Britannian Empire would soon disappear. _

_The First Prince was a kind and gentle man. Hardly the warmonger that had been Charles zi Britannia._

_And wasn't the whole point of Lelouch's campaign? To bring about the end of his father's tyrannical reign, and by any means bring peace to the world?_

_Even for the young exile, this was a good deal. One could almost call this a win-win situation._

_Almost._

"_I see you have put me in check before the game has even begun, brother Schneizel," Lelouch finally spoke, his voice echoing a tone of defeat._

_The victor let out a smirk "You will accept my proposition, then?"_

_A devious smile spread across Lelouch's features, his mind unveiling brand new plans at a break-neck pace. "On one condition,"_

_One of Schneizel's eyebrows arched, indicating for the younger of the two to continue._

"_I'll accept your proposal, brother, but in return you must hand over Japan to the Black Knights," Lelouch spoke, his expression a challenging one. He was practically daring his brother to decline. "Britannia must leave the nation to it's own affairs, without any outside influence,"_

_The audacity astounded Schneizel, as did his brother's cunning._

_In an instant, Lelouch had played on Britannia's need for the Sakuradite deposits within Japan. Even though the new generation of Knightmare Frames were powered by sources other than the rare mineral, the bulk of the Britannian military was still reliant on the exports from Area 11._

_Now, Lelouch was bringing this fact into the deal. No longer was it the simple exchange Schneizel had imagined it would be._

_The question now was whether or not eliminating Lelouch was worth the loss of the Sakuradite mines._

"_Fine, the Black Knights will have Japan," it seemed the answer to that question was Yes. Schneizel's eyes narrowed into enraged slits as he watched his victory slither away from him. "Do we have a deal, Lelouch?"_

_The teen smiled, having finally beaten his brother in their final game. "We have a deal,"_

_Schneizel grunted his disapproval of the situation. "It might take awhile, don't expect an announcement to come overnight,"_

_Lelouch chuckled. "Just make sure it gets done, brother,"_

_With that, the younger sibling wheeled his sister in to the foyer, before unceremoniously slamming the wooden door in the face of the Second Prince of Britannia._

Bringing himself back from the reverie, Lelouch Lamperouge idly noted that he had made it to the main buildings of the school.

As he climbed the stone steps up to the entrance, he smiled at the recollection of what had transpired that day.

What made the memory all the more satisfying, was the fact that Ashford Academy was now situated on territory belonging to the expanded United States of Japan, rather than that belonging to the Holy Empire of Britannia.

Of course, he failed to recollect C.C.'s smile when he told her the change of plans.

_**A/N: So, my first story, all ready to be read o-o**_

_**Incase you didn't pick up, this story is set in an alternate ending of Code Geass. I hope to keep this story going for a few more chapters yet. To be honest, I don't really know where this story is going, but with all of Christmas to think about it, I'm sure I'll soon come up with a few ideas.**_

_**For now, please Rate and Review, especially considering this is my first piece here on the site. All constructive crit will be taken into consideration.**_

_**Thanks =).**_


	2. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Code Geass, or any of it's affiliated characters or spin-offs.**

**Chapter 1.**

Pausing outside the door to the room belonging to the Student Council, Lelouch took a breath, steadying himself for what lay ahead.

As he had reached the steps to the main buildings, his presence had finally been noticed by the general student body.

It was needless to say, that Lelouch's journey through Ashford Academy's hallways, then his ascent up the stairs, had all been taken at a sprint, in an attempt to evade the questioning crowds.

At one point, the teenage boy had considered using his Geass power on his pursuers. While it would surely solve the problem at hand, he knew that he could not.

Since deciding to retire to a normal life, Lelouch had vowed to himself to never use his power again. The exception being, of course, was if the situation was of dire circumstance, and the action could not be avoided.

This decision had been spurred by several different factors. These ranged from the general outcome of having used Geass in the past, to the teen's commitment to living a normal life. What normal teenager had the ability to command anyone he or she wanted, after all?

Then there was Nunnally.

Lelouch's younger sister, while having accepted that she had no choice but to live with her older brother, still didn't talk to the former Black Knights Leader.

In fact, the only person she communicated with at all, was her attendant, Sayoko.

The household was indeed a very quiet and tense place right now.

In an odd, illogical way, Lelouch thought that by him refraining from using his Geass power, he might somehow be able to win back Nunnally's favour.

Right now, regaining his little sister's acceptance was one of the most important things in the teen's life. That, along with the various other recompenses facing him.

Standing before the door, back at Ashford Academy, Lelouch slowly started to catch his breath.

With a hand against the solid form of the doorway, he cursed his low level of fitness.

You would think, that the former leader of a mass-resistance group, would be in better shape, wouldn't you? But alas, this was not the case.

When a rumble from down the corridor threatened the approach of yet more curious students, Lelouch finally twisted the door-handle, and stepped inside...

… To be greeted by the sight of the assembled Student Council.

Officially, there were very few members left in the Council, what with the President moving on to become a weather presenter, and Nina becoming a Research Scientist for the Britannian Empire.

However, standing before Lelouch, was Suzaku Kururugi, Milly Ashford, Rivalz Cardemonde (of course), Arthur the cat (who at that moment happened to be hissing up at a nervous-looking Suzaku) , and, strangely, Kallen Stadtfeld, alongside the ever mysterious C.C.

All stood underneath a rather over-sized banner, reading '_Welcome Back Lelouch!'_, with welcoming smiles on their faces (with the exception of Suzaku, who was still staring down, worried, at Arthur the cat). Lelouch noticed, with a smile, the difference between Kallen and C.C.

While the red-haired girl's expression was the definition of forced smile, her green-haired counterpart's was a bit too... Sincere, for what Lelouch had been expecting.

Naturally, he hadn't been expecting either to have been at the school.

Although, that did explain why he hadn't been able to find C.C. that morning.

In unison, the assembled students, and ex-students, let out a loud "Welcome Back Lelouch!" before descending into giggles and laughter.

Again, Kallen's response was less-than believable, and C.C.'s more sincere than expected.

Amazed, the subject of all this attention stood admiring the surprise display before him.

"What is all this?" Lelouch asked, letting out his own pent-up laughter. It was a heart-warming display of friendship, that could only be admired.

Milly Ashford, adorned in a sophisticated, yet warm, floral summer dress, stepped forward to explain.

"When I found out you were returning to Ashford Academy, I just had to get everyone together," the ex-President-now-weather-presenter said. "And I think we can all agree, that with you being unmasked as the exiled prince of Britannia, you could use the break,"

In response, the group nodded understandingly.

Kallen, having grunted at the use of the word 'unmasked', merely averted her gaze out of the window. Rivalz, who had for some time had some attraction to Milly, nodded vigorously, with a tint of awe in his eyes.

"Why didn't you tell us you were a Prince, Lelouch?" questioned Rivalz, his gaze not entirely breaking away from Milly.

"Yeah Lelouch, why _didn't_ you tell us?" Kallen echoed, her voice dripping with venom. Everyone else in the room ignored her. They had noticed she had been like this all morning. In a hint from the Pres, they all put it down to it being her time of the month, and nothing more.

"Come on you guys, you've all heard the news," Milly answered instead, turning part-way back towards the other students. She received an appreciative smile from Lelouch for this. "It's common knowledge that he was exiled by his father. Telling anyone about who he really was would have put both him and Nunnally in danger. Right, Lulu?"

The teen smiled, an act to cover the sharp pang in his heart at the mention of his little sister. "Right,"

"Where is Nunnally, anyway?" Rivalz asked, seemingly always full of questions. "We thought she would be with you,"

"She's uhhh..." Lelouch hesitated. What could he tell his friends? Certainly not the truth. "She's feeling a bit ill today,"

A collective sigh of relief passed through the room. Suzaku, standing near the back, had finally disentangled himself from the grudge match with Arthur.

Just now listening in, he gave his friend a knowing, and sympathetic, nod.

That was when the door opened, and a long line of First-Year Students marched in, all carrying cake, muffins, soft-drinks, and other party-food.

Placing the bundles carefully down on the tables, they all stoutly marched out again, as if they were never there. All, except for one, who bowed to Milly, with her head facing her feet.

"Thank you for this, Selena," said the President, bowing back to the girl.

"Any time you wish, Madame President," the girl spoke in a squeaky voice, before making a rushed, but orderly, exit from the room.

A soft chuckle spurt from everyone's lips. Had they been as impressionable when they were that age?

"I would never guess a Student Council President could use her influence like that," Suzaku commented after a few moments.

The woman in question merely shrugged away the question, muttering something about being an _ex_ Student Council President, before reaching towards the table and snatching a slice of cake.

This action then made way for the rest of the group to start grabbing at the food and drink.

-=-=-=-=-=-

"So, of all people, how did you end up here?" Lelouch questioned, standing on one side of the room, watching the rest of the group mingle and chat. Milly was being questioned by Rivalz about life outside of school, while Kallen and Suzaku stood at separate ends of the room, doing their best to ignore each other. Suzaku, however, also seemed to be eyeing Arthur, who was sitting curled up on a chair, with more than a little apprehension

"I was invited," C.C. stated simply, sanding at Lelouch's side. A devious smile spread across her petite features, as she took a bite from the large piece of pizza in her hand.

Lelouch gave her a disbelieving look, that swept up and down her uniform-clad figure. A uniform which the immortal witch-woman had donned only in attempts to covet a piece of the world's largest pizza. Each had failed disastrously, with the pizza ending up being destroyed on both occasions, and the girl's cover nearly being blown.

Of course, Lelouch was in no way opposed to C.C. wearing the uniform. A uniform that made a good display of her delicate features. He failed to recognise, however, that these thoughts were going through his head, nor that he didn't know how the green-haired woman had attained the uniform in the first place.

"I came for the pizza," came the reply to the look Lelouch had given, while the girl's gaze fell suspiciously in the opposite direction from Lelouch.

Of course, the teen knew very well that it would have been less hassle for her to have stayed home, and just used her partner's credit card to get some pizza delivered.

However, for the sake of retaining the peace, Lelouch kept that fact to himself, and instead mused about this mystery from the safety of his own thoughts.

"What do you plan to do about _her_?" C.C. asked after a short silence, with a nod towards Kallen. "She really seems to hate you,"

"That's her problem," Lelouch replied nonchalantly. He never cared much for anyone who thought ill about him. He felt a tingle of guilt, for the fact that he felt a subtle closeness towards the red-haired girl, but all the same, he did his best to ignore how she now acted towards him.

"And what of her presence here, then?" C.C. pressed. "What if the Black Knight's have sent her here to kill you? I can't have you die before you've fulfilled my wish,"

The first thing to cross Lelouch's mind after the girl had finished speaking, puzzled him.

In truth, he had no idea why his first reaction would be to wonder what C.C.'s wish actually was- whether she wanted to die, or as he had seen in her mind, to be loved.

The next thing, was to wonder whether or not the Black Knight's would actually send an assassin to 'take care of him'.

Since the coronation of the new Emperor of Britannia, Odysseus eu Britannia, control over Area 11 (Japan, as it was now known) had been graciously handed over to the Black Knights, just as Schneizel had promised. Almost overnight, the United States of Japan had been expanded, with the former resistance movement continuing to serve as the stand-in military force.

Lelouch, under the guise of Zero, had sent a message to the Black Knights, explaining to them how he had accepted a deal from now-First-Prince Schneizel, that explained the events taking place.

With this message, Lelouch had outlined his plans to retire back to a normal life as a student.

By now it was common knowledge amongst the Black Knight's that their former leader had been none other than exiled prince Lelouch vi Britannia, and a student no less.

It was also well known that he possessed the power of Geass, allowing him to make anyone he made eye-contact with submit to his will, without question.

Naturally, exaggerations of the truth appeared in the ranks of the Black Knights. Some versions of the story suggesting that he could, in fact, shoot laser beams from his eyes.

No matter the case, the consequence was the same. Everyone in the organisation wanted Zero, Lelouch, gone.

So it was, that the teen had asked his former comrades for only one thing.

Expressing the peaceful liberation of Japan as a good-natured gift, he asked that he be left to live out his life in peace, without any retaliation from the Black Knights.

Grudgingly, they had agreed, saying that while they would leave Lelouch to his peace, to live his life wherever and however he wanted, he was to never contact the former resistance movement again.

A fair enough exchange, in the eyes of both parties.

And so, both walked away, with a simple agreement between them; You leave me alone, and I'll leave you alone.

That was why, coupled with the concerned look on C.C.'s face, Lelouch walked over to where Kallen Stadtfeld was standing beside a wide, open window, with the intent of confronting her about her presence here at Ashford Academy.

Being as aware of her surroundings as the red-haired girl was, it was no surprise that she saw Lelouch coming.

As soon as the teenage boy was within arms length, his collar found itself in a death-grip. His lanky body offered no resistance as he was half-dragged out of the classroom.

The others, somewhat startled by the tussle, watched in awe. They soon came to the conclusion that this was just a lovers spite, as influenced yet again by one of Milly Ashford's comments.

In the empty corridor outside, Kallen, red hair swinging wildly, slammed her captive up against the wall, her hand still gripping his jacket collar.

Without a word, she brought her spare hand up, and landed a crackling slap across his cheek. A red hand-print immediately formed on the skin.

Before Lelouch could even grunt his surprise at the slap, the offending hand had moved to the back of his head, fingers meshing lightly through black hair.

All of a sudden, the strategical prodigy formerly known as Zero, the one who had brought to life and commanded a powerful resistance movement, was rendered powerless, as he was pulled into a gentle, yet passionate kiss.

**(A/N: Haha, didn't see that one coming, huh?**

**Sorry about the long wait, though, I've been busy with Christmas and all that.**

**The only reason this Chapter came to fruition was because of my ability to gain an old, slow laptop from my sister.**

**The keyboard is a bit busted, too, but it works. Enough to get this chapter finished at about 2 in the morning anyway T_T.**

**Oh well, it's done.**

**In response to a question that was asked in the Prologue, this story is rated M purely to give me some wriggle room with what I can write.**

**As I said to the person who asked, I would rather not reach an M rated moment in the story, and ruin the plot's momentum just to avoid it.**

**If I do write M rated material, I promise to do so tastefully.**

**Uhm.. That's about it, I think.**

**Check the Status thingie I put up on my Profile for updates on my writing progress. I'll generally try and put up a new chapter each week, but I make no promises.**

**Please Review and Fav this chapter/story. I've been keeping track of all the traffic on this story. It's pure inspiration, and I appreciate it all.**

**Thanks! =D)**


	3. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, Code Geass, or any of it's affiliated characters or spin-offs.**_

**Chapter 2**

To truly understand why someone such as Kallen Stadtfeld would make a rash, and forward action such as this, the past few weeks and months must be explained from her point of view.

While Lelouch was out and about, implementing his now-abandoned master plan, Kallen Stadtfeld was fast becoming attracted to the rather mysterious teenager.

Naturally, a person as professional and disclosed as Kallen, would never give away any hints to this fact, let alone a full-blown direct action.

So what was it, you may ask, that lead to this very thing happening?

It would be true to say, that while the two were off fighting a war, the red-haired Knightmare Ace had found herself attracted to the relative simplicity of the student-side of Lelouch's personality.

That was before she discovered that the seemingly calm and unerring Ashford Academy Student was, in reality, hiding his alter ego as Zero, and his power of Geass.

This fact alone explains the slap. A rather harsh slap, as it was, that could have been a straight-out punch to the face, if it weren't for Lelouch's organized liberation of Japan.

The kiss came from the worry.

Yes, in the month or so that Lelouch went incommunicado from the Black Knights, or from _anyone_ for that matter, Kallen Stadtfeld had become increasingly worried about the teen's safety. The fact that the last time anyone had even seen him was as he entered some ancient ruins, made the situation all the more grim.

It was during this time, in fact, that she finally came face-to-face with those annoyingly mushy feelings she had suppressed for so long. With so much stress and energy being spent on the topic of Lelouch's safety, it was only a matter of time before the girl finally realised how she really felt for him.

That was why she was more than happy to return to Ashford Academy, when the Black Knights requested that she go back to school to keep an eye on Lelouch.

So it was, that as soon as she saw Lelouch again after so long, all those pent-up emotions exploded outwards. All that anger, all that worry (turned relief), and a more-than-healthy helping of something else, erupted into the actions that were taken by the girl.

That was how the pair came to be standing alone in the school hallway, embraced together in a rather intimate way. That was, if you overlooked Lelouch's rather lack of choice in the matter.

While the teenage boy would never admit it, Kallen's rather forceful nature, with one hand gripping his shirt collar aggressively, and the other tangled in the hair at the back of his head, brought a little excitement to him.

Then, of course, there were her lips.

Every part of the red-head screamed femininity; A sizeable bust, long, smooth legs, and a smile that would melt the heart of the toughest soldier.

The Black Knights had once, under the command of C.C., used Kallen's features, in an elaborate plan to capture Lelouch, and restore his then-wiped memories.

Right now, Lelouch Lamperouge was in a position many men would have killed to find themselves in, as he realised that the soft, tender look of Kallen Stadtfeld's lips was in no way an illusion.

Being a teenage boy, this fact of course had some effect on him. Enough of an effect to prevent him from pushing the rather light-weight girl from him. Instead, he merely stood there, somewhat revelling in the moment.

Then a memory emerged in Lelouch's memory.

A memory of this having happened once before, with another girl his age.

Of orange hair falling in an intricate pattern against his chest, as her lips pressed against his. Of the love of that person, which had returned even after being forcibly cast away.

A memory of a joyous time, with a treasured person taken away long before she was due.

…_Shirley ..._

The name ripped through Lelouch like a samurai sword, instantly decapitating any emotions he was feeling from the moment.

Without even realising it, his arms had come up, and had pushed away the warm form that was Kallen Stadtfeld.

The teen ripped his eyes away from his assailant, as guilt, sorrow, hatred and self-disgust gripped his heart.

… _C.C. ..._

Leouch had no idea why, but an image of the green-haired immortal suddenly appeared in his mind.

Just as he admired Kallen for her feminine features, he could not ignore the delicacy and softness that was the unintended nature of C.C.'s body.

All of a sudden, that self-disgust, and most of all, the guilt, became so much worse, as they stabbed into Lelouch's heart. If it were even possible, thinking of the ever-living green-haired girl had caused more pain than thinking of her now-deceased, orange-haired counterpart.

While the suddenly-weakened Lelouch stood somewhat bent over, his hand over his heart, and his eyes wide in sudden shock, Kallen took an extra step away from her crush.

Seeing a reaction such as this instantly made several different warning bells ring in the girl's head.

The more pitiful of these was, unfortunately, alarm at the surprise kiss being either too much for the boy to handle, or too poor for him to accept.

More serious, was the alarm that Lelouch could be having some sort of medical emergency, whether related to the kiss or not.

Tentatively, the girl stepped forward, a now-gentle hand extended, ready to comfort the boy should he need it.

"Kallen..." Lelouch finally gasped, his breathing starting to slow from the heavy panting. "I'm... Sorry..."

The red-head, suddenly mellowed by this entire situation, gave a meek smile. "What's wrong, Lelouch?"

"I... I'm sorry, Kallen," Lelouch muttered, his gaze shifting to the far end of the corridor. With his hand still clutching his chest, he began to take a few steps away. "I just can't do this.."

The boy took off at a brisk walk, heading towards the stairs up to the roof.

Left suddenly alone, and somewhat disappointed, Kallen Stadtfeld had no choice but to head back into the class.

As the door shut closed behind the girl, the curious glances from the other students were soon matched by a cold, 'talk-and-you-die' glare.

An awkward silence fell on the room as the red-head took up her former isolated stance over by the window.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Watching quietly from a corner, C.C. let a small smirk appear on her features, as Kallen returned to the group alone, and obviously disgruntled.

While what had happened in the corridor wasn't really any of the immortal witch's business, the fact that Lelouch had not returned to the classroom did concern her. Naturally, such concern was justified (in her mind, at least) by the contract that still stood between the two.

It was this reasoning, that made C.C. come to the conclusion that it was, in fact, her responsibility to go and find Lelouch, and if necessary, provide some sort of emotional support.

After all, as the relative outsider, she was the least tied-up from a social aspect than anyone else here.

With a fresh piece of pizza in hand, the immortal girl paced over to the door.

Ignoring the death-stare from over by the window, she passed through the doorway, shutting it behind herself without so much as a glance back.

She walked slowly through the hallways, relishing the taste of the pizza. It was a good, cheesy blend of flavours. Something to be enjoyed, rather than rushed.

Eventually, she found herself at the base of the roof stairs, looking up at the blue sky above.

Taking that final bite of her snack, she started the climb.

The Student Council President's garden, recently constructed atop the roof in dedication to Milly Ashford, was thriving in the sunny environment.

Tall hedges and lush shrubs adorned the fake-grass surface, giving a very tranquil air to the entire garden.

Leaning against the battlements on the far side, stood Lelouch.

With his elbows resting on the cold concrete surface, and his head in his hands, he looked like the definition of 'troubled'.

So deep in his thoughts was this teen, that he didn't even hear C.C.'s footfalls as she came to stand at his side.

"Something the matter, Lelouch?" the nonchalant voice brought the boy back to reality.

Looking up, and noticing C.C.'s presence at his side, the teen jumped with fright.

"C.C!" he exclaimed, doing his best to regain his composure. With a cough, he awkwardly straightened his school jacket. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to check," was the simple reply.

"On me?"

"Who do you think?"

With a chuckle, Lelouch turned back to the battlement. Leaning over, he rested his forearms on the concrete, and stared out at the school yard below. "I'm fine, C.C., go back and have some more pizza,"

A comforting hand gave a sympathetic rub of the shoulder, and a spark of something else.

Looking up, Lelouch found a pair of concerned eyes looking back at him.

The expression didn't seem right on C.C.'s face. This was one of those times where her usual demeanour disappeared, and something else, something that seemed so alien on her features, took it's place.

All of a sudden, Lelouch was reminded of the two times she had surprised him with an unexpected kiss.

Both times, a look such as this had swept across her features.

Except, this time, it seemed much deeper. Much more sincere.

"I don't believe you," C.C. replied. Taking a step closer, she let that sympathetic hand trail down her partner's arm. "Tell me what's wrong, Lelouch"

The teen let out a heavy sigh. "Kallen... Kissed me,"

It was unfortunate that he was not looking up at C.C. as he said those words, because he missed what was probably the first twitch he would have ever seen cross the immortal girl's face.

"I don't know why she did it," Lelouch continued, his gaze remaining on the grass field below. "That bugs me enough, but, when she did... It, someone else came to mind,"

Puzzled, C.C. let her arm drop away completely. She didn't really want to hear about who else had made it into the boy's mind.

"Who?" was all she ended up saying on the matter.

"Shirley," was the immediate, but not surprising reply.

After the death of the orange-haired girl, Lelouch had never stopped toying with a single idea.

That idea was of his vengeance on the boy who had killed her; Rolo Lamperouge, the Britannian spy who had posed as Lelouch's brother, and was also a fellow Geass user.

While the boy's real last name was not Lamperouge, his acting as being a brother to Lelouch, during the time in which his memories of being Zero were closed off to him, had given the spy a rather fondness of having a sibling to rely on.

It was this fact, that lead him to kill Shirley Fenette, under the justification that it was what was best for his 'brother'.

While Lelouch had himself not ended up being the hand to kill Rolo, the grey-haired boy had, in fact, met his end in due time.

However, this still left the vengeful brother with a sharp pain in his heart, caused by the loss of someone else that he cared about. It seemed, that for Lelouch Lamperouge, fate was especially unkind.

It was now, standing among the rooftop gardens of Ashford Academy, that he recalled this pain.

While the sharp edge of the sorrow had begun to dull over time, it still had the ability to cut. This was seen, as a single tear rolled down Lelouch's cheek.

It was dutifully ignored.

"I feel guilty, like I'm betraying her," Lelouch explained to C.C.. Him and Shirley had been brought together as a direct result President Milly's Graduation Event. While some believed it to be a false relationship, the truth was that the fateful exchange of hats had signalled the presence of true feelings between the two.

"You're not," C.C. spoke comfortingly. Many times, she had consoled people she had granted the power of Geass. She had become exceedingly good at this art. "She would want you to be happy,"

A moment later that sympathetic hand found new vigour, as an arm fell affectionately over Lelouch's shoulders. The teen made no reaction to this, the feel of C.C.'s warm comfort being familiar to him from past events as Zero.

It was then that emotion finally overcame Lelouch, bringing forth wave after wave of tears and sobs. Collapsing into the pain, that warmth wrapped around him became a lifeline; A ray of light in the darkness.

With only a moments hesitation, C.C. committed to the task of being the shoulder to cry on.

Ignoring the part of her mind questioning her true intentions, she reached out with her other arm, pulling Lelouch back into her warm embrace.

Never had the teenage boy known such a comforting place.

Or such a _loving_ place.

**(A/N: Phew, done and dusted for another week.**

**Yet another late-night/early-morning submission. But, it's worth it.**

**I just want to make clear, that I am not using any character relationships in this story, that were not present in the anime.**

**The Lelouch and Shirley relationship did occur. Also, in the later episodes of the second series (the ones that are cut off by the change in plot of this story), Kallen kisses the Emperor Lelouch, and C.C. Hints at the possibility of her having feelings for her contract partner.**

**Just to clear that up.**

**Well, that's me for another week.**

**A big thank-you to all the people who have Reviewed, Favourited, and Added this story to their Alert lists. You guys are the ones that make writing until 2:30 in the morning worth the sleep deprivation (New Zealand time, where I live). **

**Again, thank-you so much! (no sarcasm intended)**

**As always, please continue to Review, Favourite, and add this story to your Alert list.**

**I will try to keep my status updated on Profile page. You can't miss the underlined heading.**

**And a happy belated New Years to you all!)**


	4. Chapter 3

_**Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, Code Geass, or any of its affiliated characters or spin-offs.**_

**Chapter 3.**

A day after his return to Ashford Academy, Lelouch Lamperouge found himself sitting amongst the lush, green plants of the roof garden, with an enticing book in his hands.

He _should_ have been in class, of course. Maths, if he wasn't mistaken. But today, he really didn't feel like copying out mathematical rules, equations, and graphs.

That was what he told himself, anyway.

The simple truth behind it all, was that he needed a break.

He needed to get away from all the gawking teachers, from all the questioning students, and most of all, from his own thoughts.

It was a well-known fact, that Math, being as boring as it was, was _the_ subject to attend in order to get lost in one's thoughts.

And right now, Lelouch Lamperouge had plenty of those to get lost in, none of which he particularly wanted to face.

What with Kallen's rather forward movement th previous day (he could almost still taste her lips. However, he did have himself to blame, asking her to return to Ashford with him during that.. Awkward moment.), his sudden surge of attention towards C.C. (who knew where thoughts concerning her could lead to), and, of course, the constant threat of Prince Schneizel going against his word.

News reports were flooding in, eagerly telling of Britannia's increased military strength against the small nations in the Continent of Africa.

It wasn't surprising, if one thought about it. What with military forces being pulled from the archipelago now known as Japan, it was to be expected those forces would be placed _somewhere. _So why not in Africa?

Keeping a loose track of the stories, Lelouch had come to notice that Britannia had been keeping well away from any countries that were members, or under the protection of, the United Federation of Nations. The teen prodigy could only chuckle, at seeing how Britannia was careful to avoid any possible confrontation with the United States of Japan.

"What're you doing?"

Hearing the sudden calm, feminine voice came as no surprise to Lelouch.

He had told C.C. to stay at home, warning against another surprise appearance at Ashford, like she had done the day before. Indeed, it hadn't been a bother to see her in the rather revealing school uniform, but having the immortal girl out and about was a risk Lelouch was not willing to take.

Naturally, he would have been surprised if she had obeyed this request.

"I'm reading," came the simple reply, the teen not looking up from his book. "I thought I told you to stay at home, with Nunnally,"

"I thought you would be more surprised to see me," C.C. rebutted, walking over to lean on the concrete battlement. "Staying at home is boring, anyway,"

"Oh?" Lelouch inquired, his attention still centered on the book at hand.

"Nunnally hates me," C.C. suddenly stated, her attention caught by the P.E. class training on the field below.

This time, however, the boy did look up. "Why do you think that?"

C.C. breathed out a sigh. "She knows you're Zero, Lelouch,"

"_Were_ Zero," came the correction

"_Were_ Zero, then," C.C. amended. "She hates you for it, either way. By affiliation, she hates me too,"

"Your point being?" Lelouch questioned, not entirely attuned to the more complex emotions of others.

C.C. turned her attention back to the school-grounds below. "It's too tense, and too boring, for my taste,"

Lelouch shrugged off the statement, his eyes falling back to the book. "Order a pizza,"

"It's much more interesting up here with you," for a second, the teenage boy thought C.C had misspoken, or he had heard her wrong. He wouldn't have cared if she had, he reprimanded himself, that skip of his heart couldn't possibly have meant anything. But when the girl turned to face him, her eyes slightly narrowed, he knew she had meant what she said. "Pizza or no Pizza,"

For a moment, the two just stared at each other.

The very air around them seemed to blur, forming an atmosphere that not even the emotional-recluse Lelouch could avoid.

He had been cornered and trapped, defeated in a new strategical game. A game that was played out with emotions, in place of conventional pieces. Lelouch had to face the fact that C.C. had just blind-sided him, and at the same move, disarmed him.

_Brilliant!_

At a frustratingly slow pace, the girl made her way to stand before her male counterpart.

To Lelouch, each step seemed to take a millennium; The several-meter walk an eternity. Each heartbeat came at a snails-pace. His breathing, while heavy, was even slower.

But finally, she was before him.

Her actions deliberate and direct, C.C. leaned over Lelouch, her hands pawing the arm-rests of his chair. The boy leaned back in reaction, trying to avoid her, but she only followed him into the seat, those bright orange eyes holding a hunter's determination.

Leaning in closer, she adjusted a little, pushing her body teasingly against his. The reaction she got was satisfying-- A slight gasp, and a flicker of eyelids. The green-haired witch denied herself the pleasure of an accomplished smile.

She recompensed by daring to go even further.

Moving her head forward a little, she brought her face a mere few inches away from Lelouch's.

_... Lelouch's ..._

On the other side, Lelouch was becoming more and more aware of how much this defeat had cost him. Indeed, if he did not before realize his loss at this new game, he did now.

With C.C. so close, her alluring, delicate form within his grasp, how could he not realize?

He could almost taste it on her breath.

With her face almost directly above his, Lelouch had to look straight up to meet her gaze. That meant her hair, so luxurious in it's green color, fell around the pair like a cocoon.

Within that cocoon, the breath of one, tingled against the face of the other.

To Lelouch, this closeness, this sudden passion, was like taking a step into a warm bath, after a long winter's hike. It was impossible for him to think of anything other than what he was feeling right now.

Deny it as he could, he wished she would only finalize her victory, and sink those few inches lower...

_Please!_

... And then she was gone.

Just as swiftly as C.C. had appeared against Lelouch, she had disappeared.

It left the boy, who had found himself oh so caught up in the moment, feeling like a bucket of cold water had just been poured over his head.

Where he had formerly thought the day at a comfortable warmth, it now felt like the arctic, compared to the heat of being close to _her._

As the immortal girl walked away, leaving Lelouch in a state of dissatisfied shock, a slight smile spread across her delicate features. She had succeeded in doing exactly what she had come up onto the roof to do; Whatever it was that Kallen Stadtfeld had done, or almost done, to Lelouch the previous day, was now almost certainly out of the teenage boy's mind.

C.C. was indeed the winner of this imaginary, invisible game.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Meanwhile, somewhere within the confines of Pendragon, the Britannian Capital, an invisible game of another kind was being played out.

This game was as far from the game of love as one could get; It was none other than the grand game of Politics.

Since Schneizel had made his deal with Lelouch, and used his influence to liberate Japan from Britannian control, things had changed.

With the Damocles project, and all her associated Freya warheads, grounded for the time being, there were several military officials who were far from happy. Japan, and the rebellion she contained, had been targeted by several key Generals, as the prized jewel that would make their careers. In a nutshell, the liberation of Japan was seen by many as a victory for Zero's forces, the Black Knights, and a defeat for the Britannian military.

Those that saw it in such a fashion, were far from happy for the way that events had occurred. It was these people who now met in secret, at the residences of an out-of-town politician, to discuss what could be done about the situation.

One by one, each invited member arrived.

If they presented the pre-selected keyword at the door, they were granted entrance. If not, then they were given a firm invitation to leave, with an implied threat of security forces being involved.

By midnight, all those who were expected to be attending, had arrived, and all crowded in a shadowy back-room in the confines of the rather over-sized mansion.

The poor lighting in the room was intended as such.

No-one had any idea who else was in the room with them.

"Welcome, all of you," spoke a deep voice from within the darkness. Only a few would even have as much as a sneaking suspicion as to who had spoken.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, we have gathered here tonight for a single purpose," the voice spoke again, this time from another part of the room. Had the user moved during their pause? 'That purpose, is to restore the now-shamed reputation of the Holy Britannian Empire,"

Another pause.

"However, tonight will not be the night that such things will come the discussion table," said the voice, having yet again changed position. "The meeting held tonight was simply a test. A test to see which of those informed would be able to commit to a first gathering, and a test to see how you all reacted to the proposed idea,"

A collective gasp swept through the residence. By the sound of that last comment, the person that the voice belonged to was able to see the reactions of all those gathered here. That meant he, or she, was able to see their faces, and thus, their identities.

"Relax, all of you," cooed the voice, coming from another position, once again. "Your identities are safe with me, don't worry,"

A few mumblings from those gathered, but the tension in the air seemed to relax a little at hearing this.

"For now, you will each be lead out, one at a time, and head off to your own states of residency here in Pendragon," explained the mysterious person. "In a few days time, you will once again be contacted, instructing you to attend the second gathering of our little group. A time and place will be given to you exactly five hours _before_ the meeting is due to begin, so please, make sure you stay within close proximity of the city,"

A small chuckle. "Have a pleasant night, all of you, and I look forward to working with you all in the future,"

With that, hands started to grab at the delegates, and dark hoods placed over the heads of each, making it impossible to see. One by one, they were lead out of the room, out of the house, and into the means of transportation by which they had arrived.

Finally, the hoods were taken away, allowing the various politicians, generals, and other key personal of the Britannian Empire, to see once again.

As each were carried away into the night, a single figure remained at the mansion.

Standing before a window, over-looking the front-section of the estate, the figure pondered on what had been discovered tonight. There was much to be thought about, and much to be processed, before the next gathering could be scheduled.

However, the fact remained, that this person's grand plan, was well underway.

**(A/N: ARGH!! POWER WRITING!!**

**Oh seriously, I never wanna have to block write like that ever again. My mind feels like a Freya went off in there _-sizzle-._**

**But, I wanted to seize the inspiration while it still floated around in my head.**

**If you guys hadn't checked my wee status thingie, sitting on my profile page, then my laptop died. That sorta killed my inspiration for writing another chapter, but after having clogged my brain with Code Geass AMVs on Youtube, I forced the little spark of inspiration that appeared into a roaring fire of... Awesomeness?**

**Either way, this chapter was produced! Yay!!**

**I wanna thank all the people that have Reviewed, and +Alerted since I brought the last chapter out. You guys make it possible for that little spark to... Uhm... Ya know? Roar?**

**I've also added some of my contact details to my Profile. If I'm not actually allowed to do that, please let me know o-o. But otherwise, yeah, that's how you'll get ahold of me!  
**

**Oh crap I've lost my mind... Well, here's the chapter, and as always, Review, and +Alert!)**


	5. Chapter 4

_**Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, Code Geass, or any of it's affiliated characters or spin-offs.**_

**Chapter 4.**

It would not be surprising to note, that Lelouch Lamperouge arrived home somewhat late that night.

For hours after school had been dismissed for the day, he stood atop Ashford Academy's roof, staring out at the massive crater that used to be the Tokyo settlement.

Caused by the weapon known as FREYA, the crater's epicenter sat right in the center of the settlement, where the Britannian Government buildings had once stood.

Unfortunately, the blast had also wiped out everything around the compound, resulting in casualty counts in the hundreds of thousands, possibly even stretching over into several million.

It had been this very disaster, that spelled the beginning of the end of Britannia's control over Japan.

Before the incident, a large percentage of the population of Area 11 would have protested the liberation of the country. However, as the United States of Japan came to fruition, the Black Knights realized that the people were more accepting to the change than they first expected.

Almost everyone around the country had known someone living in the Tokyo settlement at the time of the battle. Whether said loved one had actually been killed or not was irrelevant, a similar outcome was reached.

If Britannia could slaughter it's own citizens, in such a cruel, impersonal way, then perhaps they were not fit to lead.

It was through that doubt, that the Black Knights were able to liberate Japan, without any serious incident. Of course, protesters did appear, but only the one or two in each community that were truly committed to the Holy Britannian Empire.

Such people, however, when offered an all-expenses-paid relocation back to the Britannian capital of Pendragon, were soon out of the hair of the new government.

Of course, even if Lelouch _had_ been in the know regarding such things, they would have been the last thing on his mind.

The night-time view, from the top of Ashford Academy, was one that the teen found very relaxing, and one that allowed his thoughts to flow with ease.

Walking through the front-door, Lelouch gave a moments appreciation to the thought-provoking session, and all the good it had done him.

First on the list, of course, had been his incident with C.C. It had dominated his thoughts all day, forcing him to attend a few classes to take his mind off the occurrence.

Just what the hell had that girl been thinking?

And how could she suddenly force him in to this new game, then checkmate him in the first move?

It just wasn't fair. Or very good sportsmanship.

A counter-attack would, of course, be arranged. But the teen hadn't been able to get around to that during his recollection.

No, something else had interrupted his thoughts regarding C.C., causing a distraction that lasted for the rest of his time up on the roof. It was none other than Lelouch's little sister, Nunnally.

His mind wandered to the situation between the two. To the cold tension that stood between them, and engulfed the household.

For awhile, the teen had been full of regret towards the ill feelings between his sister and he. It brought angst to his mind, knowing that his own sibling could hate him the way she did right now.

Then, with a swift reprimand, the boy started to think of a solution, rather than linger on the problem.

That was when he realized that a situation such as this could not be dealt with using well-planned strategy, or an effective battle-plan.

This was _not_ a war.

This was _not_ another battle to be won.

This was his sister!

So it was, that as Lelouch Lamperouge stood in the main foyer of the mansion, looking into the dining room to the right, he felt a pang of regret.

Sitting at the head of the table in her wheel-chair, was Nunnally.

Sayoko,the house's maid, and Nunnally's general carer, looked up from where she was sitting at the little girl's side. A look of equal regret passed over her features, knowing that even now, Nunnally would not acknowledge her brother.

"Want me to fetch you some dinner, Lelouch?" Sayoko spoke up, even though she could already guess the overall response.

"What's cooking?" came the inquiry of a reply. It mostly wasn't needed, but rather served to let little blind Nunnally know her brother was in fact standing somewhere near her. Nunnally, in response, tensed involuntarily.

"Pumpkin soup, with a side of Garlic Bread,"

"I think I'll pass," Lelouch conceded. "I'll heat some up later, maybe,"

Sayoko nodded. "Mistress C.C. is upstairs in her-" A cough. "In y_our_ room,"

A knowing smile followed the remark. A smile that brought a suspicious glare to Lelouch's eyes.

"Thank you, Sayoko," Lelouch spoke coldly. Warming his attitude, he turned his attention to his sister. "Goodnight, Nunnally,"

No response.

Lelouch hadn't been expecting one.

With a nod to the maid, the teen began his ascent up the stairs, towards what was supposedly _his_ room.

Indeed, on the second floor of the mansion, in the highly contested room, the green-haired witch was lying rather possessively on Lelouch's bed.

Wearing nothing but her white briefs and tank-top, she made a rather alluring sight. With the addition of cheese-kun, her beloved plushie, snuggled up in her arms, that alluring sight suddenly became a rather adorable one.

It was unfortunate, then, that the thoughts on her mind were far from alluring or adorable.

For C.C., her usual calm and controlled inner-demeanor rapidly evaporating, was concerned.

Concerned about the situation at hand.

Concerned about the rather rash actions she had taken that day.

And concerned about the fact that all this was actually concerning her in the first place.

That morning, up on the roof-top, C.C. had not at all planned for the impulsive actions she had taken.

Getting that close to her contract-partner was a step the witch had promised herself to never take.

The fact that she had enjoyed every second of it, every second of breaking that promise, disturbed her.

C.C. had allowed herself to be jealously worried about what Kallen Stadtfeld may have done with Lelouch out in the corridor the previous day. That was acceptable.

However, she would never allow herself to act on this jealousy; To take actions to secure the thoughts of someone else. To make sure Lelouch thought only of her, and not the red-haired teen.

But indeed, those actions had been taken, and Lelouch Lamperouge probably hadn't put a single thought to Kallen ever since

At least those impulsive moves had been somewhat ingenious, and in all likelihood, effective.

That was when the knock came at the door.

"Come in," C.C. said, knowing who was on the other side.

The door opened, revealing, as she had anticipated, the subject of her intense concern.

"Since when did I need permission to enter my own room?" Lelouch questioned with a smile, taking a step inside, before closing and locking the door behind him.

_Interesting... _thought C.C. _...that he should lock the door._

As a reply, however, the witch only let out a small chuckle.

Her eyes followed Lelouch as he walked over to the edge of the bed, and then as he sat down, his back leaning on it's side.

"Come to try and argue back the room?" C.C. asked, her voice carrying the implied challenge.

Her opponent looked up, a cunning smirk on his face. "Later," he answered simply. "First, we need to talk,"

C.C.'s eyebrows furrowed in curiosity, telling Lelouch to continue. However, she didn't move at all. Her arms still grasped cheese-kun tightly against her body, even though she felt like extending a hand, pulling back that black-haired head, and...

"What was with you, today?" came the fateful question. Yes, it would be like Lelouch to get straight to the point.

"Nothing, Lelouch," she answered evenly. "Nothing at all,"

She received a very stern glare for this answer.

Neither of them were about to believe that what had happened was simply _nothing_, because, unbeknown to either, they had both enjoyed what had happened very much.

In the silence that followed, Lelouch, sitting on the ground with his head level with C.C., appraised the witch very carefully.

As usual, a thread of green hair fell over each of her shoulders, framing that slender neck of hers. Oh that slender neck, it almost seemed to challenge him to lean in and sink his teeth into her soft, pale skin...

Of course, her golden eyes could not be missed.

They seemed to see right through to his soul, while at the same time, regarding everything on the surface. As Lelouch's gaze traveled up to meet their owner's gaze, that all-seeing effect prevented him from backing down in what became a stare-down.

The game had begun.

Each player knew the stakes.

Knew that losing this first round, this staring contest, would be fatal.

Eye vs. Eye.

Gold vs. Amethyst.

Witch vs. Warlock.

"Something wrong, _Lelouch?_" C.C. finally spoke, flexing her opponent's name. She was satisfied to see him visibly shudder at the sound of his name spoken in such a way.

Lelouch looked down, knowing that the first blow had beaten him. "You shouldn't say my name like that, C.C..." me murmured, his voice gentle and submissive.

C.C., moving slowly, leaned forward, while at the same time placing cheese-kun on the other side of the bed, facing away. His innocent, plushie eyes had no business seeing what could happen next.

"Why's that, _Lelouch?_" C.C. whispered, watching her opponent yet again shudder in that delicious way.

The teen, regaining his composure, looked up with a cunning look on his face. "So this what you did to Mao,"

The counter-strike was effective.

It took the witch off guard, and struck deep in her heart.

It _hurt_.

Recollections of her previous contract partner flew through C.C.'s mind.

Of comforting him during desperate times of his life.

Of letting him paint a picture of her down by a river.

Of, after so long apart, his return to her life, and the violent, harsh implications that came with it.

And then, strangely, she remembered Lelouch coming to rescue her.

As she had left the mansion, she had told him that this was his chance to be free of her, and all the complications she brought to his life. She had, in effect, released him from all the trouble that came with her.

Yet, he had gone after her.

He had put all his effort into concocting the perfect rescue plan, that ultimately saved the witch from her torture at Mao's hands.

Lelouch had out-witted the Geass user, and ultimately slipped in to complete the rescue himself

She could still remember his arms, picking up her battered and broken body.

She could still remember that look of relief in his eyes, at seeing her safe with him. Relief, mixed with a little of something else.

She could still remember telling him that they could still talk with Mao, that the situation could be selvaged. But no, he had gone ahead and disposed of the man with cruel decisiveness. He hadn't even considered the possibility of negotiating with that man.

With the man that had hurt her.

So it was, that lying on the bed, C.C. ignored the remark Lelouch had just made.

He was just scrambling for a foothold in this game, and didn't really mean what he had said.

"No, Lelouch," began the witch, her voice picking up a coy note, and her gold eyes narrowing deviously. "This _isn't_ an act,"

As the words settled in Lelouch's mind, his expression changed.

From a look that a victor would wear, his features melted down to a look of shock. Then transformed to understanding.

"I want my bed back," Lelouch's demand rang out with harsh authority.

C.C., her forming her signature even stare, shrugged nonchalantly. "You'll have to share,"

In a flash, Lelouch had pounced onto the bed, facing the witch on all-fours, and slowly began to crawl towards her.

In mock-fear, the green-haired girl innocently shuffled back, drawing her opponent deep into her lair.

The movements of each came painfully slow, but hinted at an underlying passion;

A brush of his fingertips on her hand.

Her gaze dragging it's way back up to his.

His body leaning in close to hers.

Laying so close to each other, faces inches apart, poised on the brink, a final thought passed between them both.

_Do I want this?_

The answer came without a doubt.

_Yes._

It was unclear who pounced first.

Maybe C.C., the defender.

Maybe Lelouch, the contender.

Maybe they met somewhere in between.

All the same, they gave in to the urge.

Body's pressed together, their lips met in space, locking in a long-overdue embrace.

Unlike the last two times, this was not one-sided.

No one person was leading the charge.

This was a collective advance.

Rushing forward, arms grasped each other possessively, causing the pair to fall back onto the sheets.

In the process, soft lips opened submissively to a probing tongue. The warm, wet mouth beyond was surrendered, giving way to passion.

The heat took over.

Logical thought was banished, replaced instead by raw need.

Limbs shifted, tangling as much with each other as they did with the bedsheets.

Pressing in harder with his lips, Lelouch forced his partner's head back, her body responding without hesitation.

Her soft neck revealed, C.C. became aware of how vulnerable she had suddenly become.

And of how exciting it was.

In response, her hands untangled from the mesh, gliding over Lelouch's shoulders, then lower, to the edge of his shirt.

Sliding up under the material, she traced her fingertips along her soon-to-be-lover's spine, causing him to shudder softly.

The witch chuckled, breaking the kiss as she did.

That chuckle turned into a soft gasp as her partner's mouth found a new target in the soft, delicate skin of her neck.

Arching her head back a little more, granting Lelouch all the access to that soft spot as he wanted, she admitted that he _might_ just have won this round.

Knowing that the course for the night had already been set, she vowed to make up for it later on.

Wrapping her legs around his waist as a start, she brought her mouth up, letting a warm breath flow over his sensitive ear, before softly biting down on the lobe.

The consequential gasp against her neck told the green-haired girl all she needed to know, and also was the makings of the second, more physical battle between the two.

Needless to say, neither got any any sleep that night.

**(A/N: Ahahahahahaha Lemon!**

**Yes, this is the start of the M-rated parts of this story.**

**I'm sorta nervous that I brought this in a bit too soon, though. Opinions?**

**I'm starting school in another week or so.**

**Unless I can learn to work on chapters over a few days, updates will probably be shifted to the weekends instead.**

**Uhm... Yeah, expect the next chapter to be even longer than this.**

**And with smut D.**

**As always, a thanks to those who have Reviewed and +Alerted over the last week.**

**Please Review this chapter if you have any advice or opinions!**

**Apart from that, goodnight, folks!)**


	6. Chapter 5

_**Disclaimer: I do not own, or claim to own, Code Geass, or any of it's affiliated characters or spin-offs. **_

**Chapter 5**

The two figures lay together under a single sheet, entwined and bonded at both the physical, and emotional level. Almost like a holy beacon, a single ray of dawn light speared through the gap in the curtains, falling over the two.

All competition had been left behind; This was a time of the ceasefire. The victor? Neither could be sure.

The golden-eyed witch, C.C., was the first to awaken.

She regarded her situation, at first, with slight suspicion and concern. She wasn't used to this, used to this feeling of warmth and safety. She suspected a trick, or an illusion.

An extended life-time's worth of solitary pain had built up formidable defenses, all of which screamed at her to get away, to run.

She calmed their troubled voices with a deep breath, resolving that, for now, she would relax, and allow herself to enjoy this peace and comfort.

Even those voices of past experience had to admit, that for the first time in so many decades, C.C. was comfortable. She was not alone. Lelouch vi Britannia, exiled Prince, and retired terrorist mastermind, had become the first person to ever make it past the witch-woman's defenses, to slip into her mind, heart and soul, and make her feel _loved._

Because this was what it felt like to truly be loved. Lelouch would never be her slave, or sacrifice who he was. He wasn't like all those people she had roped in, back so long ago in the time when C.C. had her Geass.

No, Lelouch loved her. He would be hers, only hers, and care for her with all his power. But he would never surrender his free will, and he would always be himself. He would never stop being Lelouch.

And that was what made all the difference. Quietly, in huddled whispers, C.C. whispered the truth.

"I love you, Lelouch,"

Before moving deeper into his embrace, resting her head on his shoulder.

"And I love you, C.C.,"

The reply caught the woman by surprise, her eyes opening so wide. Her quiet, seemingly secret admission had been over-heard. She completely forgot the fact that such special feelings had been returned. Instead, a barrage of counter-measures and defense mechanisms fired up in a flash.

"Didn't you love Shirley, as well?" the voice that came from C.C.'s lips was strong and to the point, as it usually was. No hint of the prior moment of weakness was present. Business, as usual.

However, the witch was once again reminded of exactly why Lelouch had captured her heart, of what made him so special. While the comment surely bit on a raw nerve, he didn't let a single drop of that buried pain reach the surface.

"I'm sure I can be excused for having a teenage crush, C.C.," his words were calm, patient. They swept away the protective measures the green-haired woman had raised, leaving her exposed.

In an instant, C.C. found herself rolled onto her back, Lelouch raised up on his hands on top of her, which at the same time were pinning her own above her head.

"However, unlike most teenagers, I made a contract with a witch," he went on to explain. His voice, his expression, was neither angry or sad, but rather patient and... Amused! "And that witch became the only person who could understand me at a glance, the only person to truly know my heart,"

He let himself down a little, his face hovering a few inches above her own. C.C. didn't so much dare to move.

"Now, witch, you must understand the consequences of what you have done," his voice was a whisper now, a whisper that implied and promised so much. "I love you, C.C. You, and no-one else,"

He lowered himself down the remaining distance, his lips, soft and a little moist, pressing against the witch's. She accepted him into her embrace, wrapping herself around him as her lips spread open against his. There was, of course, heat. But it was coupled with emotion, sincerity. It meant the world, to both the purple-eyed demon, and the golden-eyed witch.

They truly were partners against the world, stepping far beyond the reaches of their contract.

Absently, C.C. became aware that Lelouch had so easily ensured his checkmate.

Defeat had never felt so good.

#####################

Pendragon was a grand city.

Especially from the view-point of the masked organizer.

Tonight, that person would invite those noblemen that had proven themselves loyal to the cause, those noblemen that would play key roles in what was to follow.

Pendragon was the perfect city to hatch such plans that ran through the mind of this mysterious person. Indeed, the Capital of Britannia was a place suited for many things.

Not all of them were legal, or as classy, as what this person planned to unleash.

The military and police did well to keep any ruffians or brutes from forming any sustainable underground community within the city. However, no military unit, or police force, could sedate the plans, trickery, and games of the Empire's nobility.

In the eyes of the planner, no-one could so much as understand, let alone neutralize, the biggest threat to the Holy Britannian Empire.

That was why it was the job- no, the duty- of the one person who could see it all, understand it all, to take action. History might easily label that person as a trouble-maker, as someone who would not let the past fade away.

But at least there would be those civilized people in existence to write history.

Letting their gaze lower, the figure simply stared at the grave of the late Imperial Consort, Marianne vi Britannia.

"I apologize, Lady Marianne," the figure spoke, their voice heavy with emotion. "For what I must do to your son,"

**(A/N: Well, I suppose I'm back xD.**

**I've just downloaded the entire Code Geass anime, both seasons, and after getting through most of it, was inspired to continue writing here :O.**

**So yeah!**

**Sorry for such a long wait, and the fact that I've only released a small chapter.**

**I'm just gunna start off with small steps, before working my way up into larger releases ^^.**

**As always, please review and +Alert!)**


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